For one couple in San Diego’s Logan Heights neighborhood, Valentine’s Day is a time to quite literally shine – and to spread a message of love.
Raymundo Navarro and his wife Teresa Guzman live on a busy corner in Logan Heights at Ocean View Boulevard and South 28th Street.
You can’t miss their house – especially on Valentine’s Day.
That's because the couple goes all out for the holiday of love, much like one might when putting up a Christmas lights display. Their front yard is covered in heart decorations, twinkling red lights (hung with care) and the ultimate centerpiece: a giant, lit-up sign that simply says, “LOVE.”
Navarro and Guzman told NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 that their Valentine’s Day house is well-liked by neighbors, especially children.
That makes them happy because, really, their home serves as a way for them to deliver a message to their community.
“It’s a message of peace and unity. We want to share that with our neighbors,” Navarro added.
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“The love and the friendship for the community because we love the neighborhood, the Logan neighborhood,” Guzman said. “We love living here.”
The couple said their elaborate display recently caught the eye of a police officer, too. The officer knocked on their door to thank them for spreading a positive message. Navarro said the officer told them their home makes people happy.
Navarro said his home’s location on the corner – where cars passing by can easily see it – inspired him and his wife to take their holiday decorating up a notch.
The couple likes to go all out for every holiday, including Halloween, Christmas and the Fourth of July.
Navarro said his vision started with small decorations here and there. Over the past five years, that vision has grown to the large display it is today. He reuses things year after year so as not to break the bank.
The couple also makes a lot of the décor themselves, including the “LOVE” sign, which Navarro put together by hand.
"Wood, paint, that's it," he said. “I try to make it different every year."
Navarro and Guzman said people will often stand in front of their home and take selfies near the decorations.
And, the couple gets a kick out of that because they put a lot of love into the display.